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[forthary]

Ok, so I am a first-timer to the whole Dragon Age game series, and well, im not sure honestly about the game.  There's plenty of good in the game, but there's also plenty of bad too.  I guess I will begin my overall review of the game from the beginning of my first playthrough.

In the beginning, I made a male human rogue.  As it was my first time playing, I had no idea how the heck I optimize the build, so I just had to guess.  I believe I put most of my points in cunning, then in dexterity, maybe in strength as well, with which the rest of my stats I dumped.  Unfortunately, I felt that my inexperience made the game even harder for me to play, not to mention I felt my backstab damage actually didn't deal much damage if at all any.  Maybe I did something wrong, who knows?  The reason I made a rogue was because I believe they have more interesting stories to tell, and they have more options in dealing with things.  The intro of the game was just awesome, and I was quite hesistant in being a grey warden, because can't the world take care of itself?  Why leave it to the fate of a rogue?  Although I never refused to be one, I never accepted it either.  However, I believe that when nightfall came, and when both my friends and family were slaughtered, something changed in me.  I am glad I told my in-game mother that I loved her when they prepared to make their final stand.

Once I left my home and family behind, that's when the game started going on a roller-coaster ride when it comes to enjoying things.  The plot is pretty interesting, and I suppose good at times.  The in-game lore is also good, and the game is just...huge!  I thought Mass Effect 1 was a big game, but Dragon Age: Origins just blows it out of the water in terms of playtime.  I probably spent 50+ somewhat-painful hours in the game doing stuff all over Ferelden.  The characters are great too, even those I may have had to kill or be hard on.  Bioware sure knows how to make great characters, although I never cared for shale for some odd reason, and Lelianna is just...not in my interests either.  The music is also good, and the romances just blow my mind away.  

Unfortunately, there are quite a few downfalls in this game that prevent me from enjoying it as much as others may.  The combat is definately one of the bigger gripes I have.  It's not because it's bad, but its just something that's not in my tastes.  It's cool that you can devise tactics for your team that cover a wide range of things, and it's probably one of the best, to be honest, because you can do most anything.  But the thing is, it's DIFFICULT.  In fact, it's so difficult that I had to change the difficulty of the game from normal to easy when I played, and that's very sad.  In fact, this is the first game I have ever played in my adulthood that I have had to set the game to easy in order to get a reasonable challenge.  The combat also feels like WoW for some reason, and well...if I want to play WoW, i'll play World of Warcraft, not a Dragon Age game.  I must also admit that while copper, silver, gold, exc. are all common forms of currency back in the age that dragon age takes place, I can't help but feel that they ripped off some of the graphics for these currencies from World of Warcraft as well.  Yes, I know, I mentioned World of Warcraft in my review, shame on me, blah blah blah, but I can't help but bring it in.

Probably the worst experience I have ever had in this game has to take place in the Circle of Magi tower.  Once you get past the dock guard and speak with the templar in change, it just seems like a typical dungeon crawl.  But when you get up to a certain floor, you encounter some sort of demon that puts you into a magical slumber, and you have to break free.  That's cool and all, but it's just way, way too long!  What were they thinking when they made this?  But on top of that, you also have to acquire different forms that access different rooms which somehow allow you to advance/unlock whatever puzzle you have to solve, and if your feeling generous, you can also rescue your friends as well.  That doesn't sound hard, but when your playing a defective class that's going through something like this for the very first time with no knowledge of what to do, instant-death if you try to do certain things, a auto-save system that does as good of a job saving as mass effect 1, low supplies, tough enemies everywhere you go, puzzles that take lots of time to figure out, graphic effects that give you a headache, being on your own with no backup until the very end, and being frustrated that this section of the game takes way too much time, that really can ****** a person off!  Whoever designed this section should be tied to a pole and burned at the stake for constructing such a abomination of a level!

But, moving on with my gripes, some may wonder what choices I made and what events I encountered in the game.  From the beginning, I believed that it was important to have a silver tongue in this game, so I prioritized raising my influence.  This helped me not only get some highwaymen off my back, but also bring in some coin.  The little village I visited wasn't much, and I had no idea what to do now that the darkspawn were a threat, but I did free Sten(Who reminds me of Marcus from Gears of War, dunno why), acquired Leliana after some thinking and faught off annoying peasents.  Pretty much everywhere I went, I declared myself a grey warden, which had some consequences, but I feel that I gained from doing so, and I also felt that if I could help people in the process, it would let people know Loghain's words are lies.  As I traveled around recruiting allies, for some reason, I developed a bond towards Morrigan.  I couldn't believe I did because of the way she's dressed, and because of her thinking at times, not to mention her forced presence in the party.  But somehow, her personality was good enough that I wanted to try and develop a bond between us.  The first romance scene just blew my mind away, because not only was the music good, but the scene was displayed well.  The body was important, but the thing that takes priority was the actual feeling of love and compassion for one another, and I saw that.  It was so good.  Love isn't just about sex and physical pleasure, it's about respecting and appreciating the one you desire the most.  It's too bad I didn't have a save before that though, I would replay it so many times over...

Anyways, I liked the dwarven city in the mountains, it rang of WoW a bit, but it was also unique.  In the end, I destroyed the anvil of making after developing the crown, which was probably one of the 2 hardest choices that I had to make in this game.  It made me think so deep about it, but in the end, perhaps what I learned from Mass Effect influenced my decision greatly.  I crowned the prince as well, because he showed action and the intent of doing things, and along the way there, I picked up Oghren, who replaced sten in my party as he was more energetic and had more interesting things to say.  I do wish I managed to get a higher approval rating from him though, he seemed cool.  The 'blade' conversation was one of the best, by far.  Go on Alistair, admit that you polish your blade from time to time, maybe Morrigan will think better of you if you do...

Anyways, Alistair is a different story.  It's sad, also.  He seemed alright in the beginning, and it seemed things were going ok, if not a bit rough.  Sometimes I think that while Alistair disapproves of Morrigan, I also think that he secretly likes her.  I don't know if a bond between them would ever last, but it would be very interesting to see the two of them try to go on a date.  However, the problems with him started in Redcliffe.  A child was possessed with a demon, and we had to stop him.  However, I had to either kill the child or let the mother be sacrified so that he may live.  Realizing that killing the child would cause problems in the long run, and leave a mother tramatized, I let the mother perform her sacrifice so that he may live.  Alistair had a beef with me at camp about it, and I was so pissed from all the dungeon crawling I had to do along with frustrating gameplay and other things that I just lost my stack.  Rather than choosing a persuade option, I just let out my rage and told him to quit his whining!  I got -40 approval for this, the most I've ever lost, but at the time, I felt it was worth it.  We had a few up and down moments, mostly down moments, but I believe the last up moment was when we were locked away in a jail cell.  That **** betrayed us, and after suffering the world's fastest party wipe in Dragon Age: Origins, we were thrown into here.  We could have broken out, but instead, I figured we would wait, hoping that Oghren and Morrigan will rescue us.  And sure enough, after Morrigan persuades the dumb guards to let them in as a courier with a package, with some fighting later, we were rescued.  It was kinda odd, but helpful at the same time to get approval points for this.

The end was dark for both Alistair and myself.  I failed to persuade Alistair to marry the queen, even though the **** betrayed us once, and little did I realize it would happen again.  He was very hostile to me at this point, but what can I say?  I will admit, maybe it was my fault, but he whines more than I do!  He has some serious issues with leading among a few other things, and I have a problem with that, especially if he is capable of being a king.  His darkest hour would come at the landsmeet.  After losing by one party to Loghain, our party engaged in a fight with him, until it was braught to a halt.  Loghain decided it was best to challenge Alistair to a duel.  I accepted, and became his champion.  I would fight for him this time, as I also had a personal grudge with Loghain.  After some dirty fighting and backstabbing, he was defeated.  But my fight was not over yet.

I had to choose, in the end, whether to take Loghain's life or Alistair's.  It was a hard decision, because I liked Alistair, and he was a friend.  And I certainly would have chosen him over that **** if I had more faith in him.  But how could he be a king!?  He's so insecure about himself and all his whining will do nothing but bring even more ruin to the kingdom!  All of Ferelden will be laid to waste with his lack of action and fear.  He even admitted that he wouldn't make for a good king during our argument over whether Loghain should live!  I did cheat a bit and looked at the ending to see what could happen to him, and I finally added up the problem to get a solution.  Loghain should no doubt be punished for his actions.  But is it worth keeping Alistair alive when he's angry at me?  When there is no chance for us to mend our friendship back together?  When redemption is beyond hope?  And what about being a king?  Would I allow him to rule knowing that his insecurities and whining would do nothing but bring chaos?  And even if he wasn't one, could I really let him wander the countryside as a drunkard?  Or fade away into the darkness?

No.

I made my choice.  Loghain would live, being forced to serve as a Grey Warden so that he may atone for his many sins, but Alistair would die.  Goddamnit, I wish he didn't have to die.  It seems so unfair that his head should be chopped off.  That damn **** shouldn't have killed him all out of her own beliefs.  But then again, it's a better fate then him wandering around the countryside as a no-good drunken castaway.

In the end, things were falling apart for me.  I had to question whether it was worth carrying on.  To live.  To be a Grey Warden.  Was it worth it?  What did I live for?  Or rather, why?  Should I be the one to make the sacrifice because I have nothing left in this world?  In the end, I realized that with Alistair's death, and the death of many other's before him, I still had one thing left that matters to me in all of Ferelden: Morrigan.  She may have a hot temper at times, but we both shared each other with passion and respect.  Her deal with the 'demi-god' was controversal.  She would leave once it was done, and she was firm about it.  I had to think about it: Should I accept the deal so that Morrigan may stay with me longer, and so that I may bear a child?  Or should I reject it, knowing that might still be together anyways even if she leaves me right there and then?  Fortunately, I made a save before this so I can eventually try the second choice, and my first choice was to accept it.  Even though I did leave Flemeth alive, I figured I would eventually obtain the strength I need to defend my child, and Morrigan, from her.  Though it turns out later on that choice doesn't matter much...

And then, in the end, we marched into Denerim with all the armies at our side and charged at the darkspawn!  The end of the game was pretty good, it had parts that really shined well, such as the character goodbyes, the armies, and the ending itself, but it also had some parts that were really dull, such as fighting my way there.  It didn't help that I hate the combat system.  But eventually, after slaughtering many darkspawn, trading with the merchant's son who was mysteriously there and several moments later, I came across the archdemon.  I have seen the archdemon before in dreams and such, but I thought it would just be a demon, not a actual dragon!  I've heard of undead dragons, but demon dragons?  That's something new.  Anyways, the final battle against the archdemon was good, especially since the combat varied a bit, though I hated how the archdemon flew onto a pedestal that you could only use ranged weapons with, as none of my characters are good at hitting stuff at a distance with anything other than rocks.  And in the end, after using my armies that I saved for this very moment (Oddly enough, one of them is missing?), it all came down to a dramatic conclusion.  For the first time, I felt that my character was truly alive in the ending cutscene.  He performed a incredable feat of strength by using a greatsword to tear through the archdemon, then in one mighty roar of all the pain my character has delt with throughout the entire game, delt the final blow and sent his life force streaming through into the sky!  It was such a epic moment.  I would love to see the ultimate sacrifice version of it.

Then, it all came down to the good-byes.  The sacrifices of the grey wardens should never be forgotten, so I asked for the queen to build a statue.  I said good-bye to my party members, and had a feeling of sadness, as Morrigan was not there.  Not to mention Oghren would go off on his own, and I would miss him for that.  As I watched the final scenes of what happened, I wasn't sure what to think.  I no doubt left lots of bad behind in the world, but I wonder if I had left any good?  I wonder if destroying the anvil would make a good difference, or if destroying the circle of magi would open new paths to greater goods, or anything at all.  Did I leave any hope behind?  Or was destroying the darkspawn the only thing I was good at?  None of it mattered much at this point, as Morrigan was on my mind.

I wasn't too fond of DLC in this game, mostly because it came at quite a cost, and I felt that that the game didn't live up to it's value in my opinion.  The only one I bothered with outside of the free blood dragon armor and golem DLC was the witch hunt.  It was pretty good, I must admit, especially with my character fiddling with Morrigan's ring.  Although it did have a few flaws, such as the protagonists tagging along with no choice to shoo them away, them being slightly annoying, and a few other minor gripes, in the end, it was worth it.  I finally met Morrigan, and after talking her down a bit and making her see reason, we shared our last kiss on the world of Ferelden and went through the portal to see our child.  The one thing that's such a tease is that when you go through the portal, you and morrigan are actually seen in some sort of dream realm before it takes you to the credits!  What a friggin tease!  Were they actually going to try showing you what was beyond that portal and what your child looked like before they had to cut it due to lack of funding/time!?  Well, whatever.  Sometimes I wonder if I died going through that portal.  Maybe I did.  Maybe I did not.  I'm not sure.  But if I did, it was worth it.

Overall, Dragon Age: Origins is a unique game, without a doubt, and has moments where it really shines.  But I believe it's overhyped.  I feel that for every 3 good things that happen, 2 bad things happen as well in that game.  Would I recommend it to a friend?  If they loved playing fantasy RPG's beyond a resonable doubt, sure.  If they like that kind of stuff?  I don't know.  Probably not, unless they can get it for free (I got mine for free in a origin anniversery email).  

I probably will not bother with Dragon Age II since I have seen a LOT of bad reviews on it, not to mention I feel that the Dialog Wheel doesn't go well in a game series such as this, among other things.  I know Dragon Age III is still up in the air, but im not sure if ill play it, despite 'promises' that my Grey Warden may return there.  I probably will not fall for the hype and be hopeful at all.  But if the Grey Warden can make a appearence, and maybe even return as the main protagonist, I might consider.  Time will tell.

[BelgarathMTH]

Umm, I'm sorry, but I can't relate to most of your complaints. I just started a run on "nightmare" difficulty, and the combat is very easy to me. Perhaps that's because I'm a Baldur's Gate veteran. I am even keeping the AI "tactics" completely turned off and managing my own party, the more to make my experience like BG.

I am enjoying all the voice-acted and animated dialogue screens as well.

<shrug>

[Fiacre]

I stopped reading when you started calling Anora a ****. Can people not express their problems with a character without resorting to petty insults? Really?

Incidentally, no, she didn't betray you. She told you that her life would be in danger if anyone found out about her, be they Howe's or Loghain's men, and you went ahead and... told Loghain's right hand woman about her. Great going.

The closest thing she comes to a betrayal is if you tell her that her father absolutely must die even after promising your support... And I can't blame her for trying to protect her *father*, no matter how wrong she may think he is.

[Riverdaleswhiteflash]

Did you meant to refer to the Fade as an abomination of a level?

As for 2 bad things happening for every 3 good... yeah. It's dark fantasy. That's rather the point.

[BelgarathMTH]

Well, I didn't really read this carefully enough last night, so I went back and read the post more carefully.

I still don't really agree with most of the criticisms presented, but one thing that stands out in my mind is that people are still debating about all the moral conundrums, relationships, and hard choices in this game. I think that's evidence that the game has a very powerful story behind it. If the story were weak, nobody would care what happens to Alistair, Morrigan, Alora, or anybody else. But we do. Heck, I even care what happens to my dog in the game. And incidentally, kudos to D:AO for having the best animal companion in any game, ever.

[Riverdaleswhiteflash]

I dunno. The ones in Neverwinter Nights were pretty cool. (Especially my wizard's Hellhound.)

[Eefa]

Well, I enjoyed reading the review.
Of course there are differing opinions as far as the choices go. Everyone can play how they want to play, and that's why it's so well loved by many. The nice thing about this forum is that there is so much information, and if you're unsatisfied with how a story unfolded in your game, you can always research and try again :-)

As Riverdaleswhiteflash pointed out, it IS a dark fantasy, and there are going to be a lot of sad moments in the game. Sure, some can be avoided, but not all. It wouldn't have been a fraction as good as it is without getting tormented a little bit I think.

I see people are pretty heated about the Anora issue. I think her character is well done, and I think she is a strong woman and obviously loves her father...but I still personally don't like her, I always saw her to be ruthless and knowing more than she lets on. I've certainly called her a dirty name a time or two during some play throughs :-P The fact of the matter is that she CAN evoke angry feelings, and I only feel that's a thumbs up on the part of the writers, and not worth chiding Forthary for getting riled up about it. That's my two cents on the matter.

Sounds like it was a pretty good first run to me. The issues encountered can be fixed or avoided through practice or research, should you decide to play again that is. I would definitely recommend playing again, you might even enjoy it more the second time around :-)

[Fiacre]

The problem isn't disliking her or anything. The problem are the petty -- and in Anora's case almost always gendered -- insults. I positively loathe it when people go around calling a female character a b**** (I assume that's the censored insult since it fits best), or **** simply because they dislike them. In this case -- and with Anora, it is often like this -- it's especially grating because Anora had good reasons for what she did.

And really, it is possible to express your dislike and problems with a character without resulting to insults. I don't go around calling Alistair a whiny **** because I don't like him either, and Alistair fans (or anyone, really) would have good reason to call me out for that nonsense.

[Eefa]

Fiacre and Faerunner bring up some wonderful, logical points in the argument For Anora.
Although... I remain skeptical.
Ser Cauthrien might be duty-bound and loyal to Loghain, however, outside The Landsmeet she is willing to back down with the hopes that you'll be able to stop Loghain from destroying the country he loves(or whatever). Retrospectively, this leads me to believe that during The Escape, if Anora had been honest that she was escaping, it's quite possible Ser Cauthrien would have stepped down then as well, ESPECIALLY when you have the queen in tow.

I think that Anora does want to stop the blight, and she is willing to accept that her father is involved in shady dealings. She is reasonable in that regard. However, I don't think she takes anything as seriously as being The Queen. Her father is causing problems all over Fereldren, but as long as she gets to stay queen, she doesn't care. She views your Warden as the lesser of two evils, but only if you support her bid for the throne. She would allow her father to continue tearing Ferelden apart from the inside and turn a blind eye to it so long as she gets to be the Queen. This leads me to believe she is not innocent of any dealings, and I find her to be an opportunist.

Edit:

BelgarathMTH:
Heck, I even care what happens to my dog in the game. And incidentally, kudos to D:AO for having the best animal companion in any game, ever.

This made me laugh very hard.  I have been keeping Bruce(my dog :-P) a permanent member of my pt for the first time, and I love him.  He's awesome and adorable and finds soggy cakes for me.

Modifié par Eefa, 09 septembre 2012 - 01:24 .

[Eefa]

Great points! I'll definitely be thinking about that in my next playthrough.

[frostajulie]

DA2 is fun if you know what your getting into. It is not a true sequel so just play it as if it were another game in the world It was NEVER worth full price but check Steam and/or bargain bins becasue DA2 IS worth 20 bucks. Its fun.